Bharatanatyam Exponent Vasundhara Doraswamy to Be Honoured with Saroja Vaidyanathan Excellence Award 2026

Key facts

• Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy, a renowned Bharatanatyam exponent based in Mysore, will be conferred the Padmabhushan Guru Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan Excellence Award 2026 by the Nataraj Music & Dance Academy (NMDA) during the Vysakhi Nrithyotsav Indian Dance Festival in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on September 26 and 27, 2026.
• She is known for integrating Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Bharatanatyam and earned a doctorate on the interrelationship between the two disciplines after training under yoga exponent Pattabhi Jois.
• Her acclaimed solo choreographies include Panchali, Ganga Lahari and Sama Veda, and she has received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Shantala Award, and honorary citizenship of Louisville, Kentucky.
• She has performed on international platforms including UNESCO's World Peace Conference in Paris and continues to teach and mentor dancers globally.
• NMDA, founded by BR Vikram Kumar (Vikram Goud Bathina), is an ISO 9001:2015-certified organisation and a member of the International Dance Council, UNESCO.